Over the pandemic months I watched a lot of YouTube. There were a few shows on basically homesteading in Europe. One was an Irish couple with a smallish grubstake who bought what amounted to a hull of an Italian tenement. The price was cheap, I think there were small tax incentives because the municipality wanted the new tax revenue from the rehabbed residence. They did the deal, hired the locals to do the work, and loved it.

Is Europe ready for American ex-pats masquerading as real estate investors and landlords? Neon signs and pizza parlors will never be the same.

Usually rural, but occasionally in cities that have lost population and businesses. That single Euro house is going to need a lot of money to make it habitable. And as to neon signs and pizza parlours? There are a lot of bureaucratic hoops and hurdles - usually flaming ones or topped with broken glass - to be gotten through. I'm glad that I'm not trying to start a business or rehab a house here in France though Italy is apparently 3 times more difficult.

Oh, and things do indeed stop for lunch, for hunting season, for coffee, and for bureaucrats. So American energy is often redirected.

We are looking forward to the tourists coming back, even though they will make parking hell and café tables hard to get.

His episode of how fascism rose in Europe was excellent and a warning to the US.

That it ran several times on various PBS channels this past year. My 66 year old husband did not learn about it in school, since he wasn’t on the college track. At one point, he said my God Trump sounds like Hitler.

A few years ago on a trip to Germany, I visited the Congress Hall Hitler had built for the Nazi Party, which remains unfinished but now hosts a museum. As I moved from exhibit to exhibit, most with audio explaining the history as well as snippets of speeches, I was overwhelmed by the similarities between Trump and Hitler in their use of propaganda, lies, and eventually violence to get what they wanted. It was chilling at the time, and it still is. And now Republican Party leaders have bought into the same strategy—lies, propaganda, and violence to overthrow elections when their crooked laws fail.

I know you want to travel because I do too but remember we are waaaaay behind in vaccinations. I am fully vaccinated but I’m over 60 so I was in the early group. I can’t wait to go to the beach! Restaurants here in Switzerland JUST opened yesterday for indoor dining. We haven’t been to a restaurant since September!

There are many restrictions and mask wearing is still required all over Europe.

Both hard core R's. I've also seen the same negativity from other R's who have visited Europe and claimed that arrogance, ungratefulness (America saved their ass in WWII!) hellhole hotel and living conditions, the language barrier (they should all speak English!) and other b.s. statements totally soured them on the experience.

My advice on being better travelers? Ban all R's, MAGAT'S and wingers of all stripes form visiting Europe. Ford that matter, any foreign country! We'd be doing a big favor to those foreign peoples.

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Nothing to do with their politics or the way the dress, but the fact that they never, ever, have figured out the basic social codes of France. That can be summed up by a sign that used to be in Paris café: Un Café - 2.50€, Bonjour, un café - 2.00€, Bonjour, un café, s'il vous plait - 1.50€

There are a lot more subtleties, and of course, sounds of 'Why don't you take dollars?' always brings derisive laughter, but that's the basic.